Cigarette-machine.



No. 949,997. 'Patented may 22, |990. o. EmsTAEssr-:

CIGARETTE MACHINE.

(Application Bled Ju1y 18, 1898.`

(NoModeI.) 5 Sheets-Sheet I.

Patented May 2'2, |900.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. BERGSTRAESSER.

CIGARETTE MACHINE.

(Application led Julv 18. IRQRJ lll.l\lllllll :lill: \\II\\\ (No Model.)

No. 649,89?. Patented may 22, |900. o. BERGsTAEssEB.

GIGAHETTE MACHINE.

(Application filed July 18, 1898.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 No.649,897. Patented May 22, IQDU.

0. BERGSTRAESSER.

CIGARETTE MACHINE (Application filed July 18 1898.) (No modem 5Sheets-Sheet 4 .m w t e 9 e Il h 7 S 2 m 2 n.. e W .m M S 5 d nv l n e ta P Ri ENS SI1 SHQ@7 EC... AAw DnM.w TEw STm GTn DnEm ERM BAM 0.0m L 9 89, J AA. w 6 0 M o, N m r\\ lllnirTnn 8TaTns PATENT OTTO BERGSTRAESSER,OF DRESDEN, GERMANY.

clcARETT-MACr-une.

sifnc'inicnrron forming part of' Lettere Patent No. 649,897, dated Mey2e, 1900. Applicatidn filed July 18, 1898. Serial No. 686,301. (Nomodel.)

To all wwnt t may' concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO BERGs'rRAnssnR, a subject of the Grand Duke ofHesse-Darmstadt, residing at Dresden, Germany, have invented certain newand useful Improve; ments in or Relating to Oigarette-llrlachines,

" l(for which I have made application for 1patent in Great Britain, No.14,446, dated June 90, 1898; in France July 4, 1898; in Italy July i,1898; in Hungary June 29,1898; in Austria June 25, 1898; in SwitzerlandJune 27, 1898, and in Germany May 26, 1898,) of which the following is aspecification.

In the manufacture of cigarettes by hand a considerable quantity ofshort tobacco is produced by the necessary cutting off at both ends ofthe cigarettes. This represents a complete loss in the higher class ofcigarettes, while in the lower class it is filled in together with Jthelong tobacco. In pushing the tobacco-roll produced in a hinged tube intothe paper tube by means of a rannrod the tobacco bers are often injured,the tobacco is compressed in an irregular manner, (moreat the rear endof the roll, where the ramrod engages with it, than at the front end,)and the fibers are distorted and broken. In the Inanufacture ofcigarettes on the Well-known machines (Bonsack and Elliot) there is, itis true, no short fibrous tobacco produced by cutting off the ends ofthe cigarettes; but these machines can work only with such shorttobacco. Long fibrous tobacco cannot be used on them. Thecigarette-making machine according to this invention is free from boththe above faults. It can use long fibrous tobacco and does not injureits fibers in the working. At the same time there is no short fibrousWaste prod need. The cigarettes made by it are loose and airy, burnwell, and are smoked very easily. This is `effected by the tobaccoropebeing pushed with its suitablycut-.end into a finished paper tube bymeans of intermittently driven bands-consequently solely by the adhesionbetween the bands and therope-up to its very end. Then the tobacco ropeis out close behind the paper, so that the tobacco only is cut, and thefinished cigarette is separated from the tobacco rope the cut end ofwhich forms the new front end for the next cigarette. This machine isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan;Fig. 2, a central longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 8, an end viewlooking from the right-hand side of the Inac'liineraccording to' Figs. 1and 2. The other gures are detail views, libeing a ratchetgear fortheintermittentdriving of the bands. Figs. 5 and G show means for fixingthe paper tube in working position, which means will be hereinafter morefully described. Fig.

shows in section a part of the revolving head supporting the paper tube,the means for fixing the revolving head and for bringing up the nextpaper tube to be filled being also visible. Fig. 8 is a verticallongitudinal section; Fig. 9, a plan of the front end of the band-guidewhere the tobacco takes its final;

Fig. 10 is an end view of Figs. 8 and part of the revolving head withthe tubular Wrapper in place and the expander in operative position.

The band-guide for feeding and shaping the tobacco rope and forintroducing it into the paper tube consists of three endless bands, thebottom band a and two lateral bands b. The first band moves in avertical plane, and the two others in horizontal planes over pulacentral longitudinal groove of the machine formed by the concave bottomA and the lateral walls B. The bottom band a comes from an adjustablepulley 1 into the groove and at once begins to assume arched shape inaccordance with the shape of the bottom A. At the front end of thegroove this band is l guided downward through a mouthpiece C,hereinafter to be described, and over a guiderollcr 2, Figs. 2

lcys or disks, all the three bands traveling in and 8. It then passesoven pulleys 3 and 4 and returns to the pulley 1. The two lateral bandsb travel over pulleys 5 and rollers 6 in such manner as to it thelateral walls B of the groove, from which they are guided out laterallybehind the mouthpiece C, Figs. 1, 2, and 9. The rollers 6 are adjustablein order to enable the tension of the bands to be regulated. The threebands are intermittently driven in the direction indicated by the arrow,Fig. 1, in order to feed at each movement a portion of-the tobacco ropeof a length corresponding to that of the cigarette. This movement istransmitted from a shaft D, which is driven from the main driving-shaftE by means of a pair of toothed wheels e. A crank-disk cl on the shaft Ddrives, by means of a connecting-rod 7, an arm 8, carrying the pawl 9,Figs. 1, 3, and 4. The arm 8' oscillates about the spindle F, the pawlintermittently engaging with a ratchet-wheel f, secured to this spindle.To the spindle F is also secured the driving-pulley 3, operating thebottom band a, Fig. 2. With said pulley 3 coperates the adjustablecounter-roller 4. kThe spindle F also drives, by means of bevel- Wheels10, Fig. 1, vertical spindles with pulleys 5 for driving the lateralbands.

' Tobacco is placed by the attendant into the groovesuitablydistributed.It mustbepointed out that there must be arranged above the machine atable (not shown in the drawings) consisting of two plates divided inthe center by a slot, giving access to the groove. At the frontend ofthe groove there is arranged the mouthpiece C, which completes theshaping of the tobacco rope and enables it to enter the paper tube. Italso holds the paper tube fast while the rope is being introduced intoit. The mouthpiece consists of a cylindrically-perforated hollow body cand a cap e', (see chiefly Figs. 8 to 11,) put on from the front. Thebody c may be in one piece with the body of the groove. A pulley Gcooperates with ythe mouthpiece for the purpose of shaping the tobaccorope. It is provided with a groove and. lits the rear end of themouthpiece C..

The pulley G rotates in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 8, andcompresses the tobacco rope fed by the three bands ct b Z), so that saidropeA enters the mouthpiece with a completely-circular cross-section. Asheet-.metal tongue g, adapted to suit the cross-section of G, coversthe groove from the place where the lateral bands come out and holdsdown the tobacco coming in, so that it may be properly seized .by

the pulley G. The pulley G is secured to the shaft G', which is drivenfrom the shaft F by' means of two toothed wheels g', Figs. 1 and 3. p,The movements of the bands and of the pulley are therefore simultaneousand intermittent. The cap o is provided with a very short tubular spout11, which cooperates with a device, which ywill be now described,to-hold fast the paper tube after `it has been placed withits rear endon` the spout 11 in the manner to be hereinafter described. The papertube and the tubular spout are inclosed by the branches 12 of the tongs.(Visible in Fig. 3, but still better in Figs. 5 and 6.) The tongs areclosed by a wedge 13 when the rod 14E, carrying said wedge, is caused toadvance by the cam 15 on the shaft D, Fig. 1, or held in the advancedposition. As soon as the wedge is withdrawn the tongs are opened by theaction of two springs 16, which engage with the rear ends of the arm ofthe tongs. One of these springs acts by compression and the other bytension. To bring empty paper tubes to support them during theintroduction of the tobacco rope and to remove the finished cigarettes,there is provided in the machines constructed as `illustrated a head H,revolving freely about the horizontal spindle h and provided at itsperiphery with a number of longitudinal groove-like cells. At the backend of the revolvinghead, nearest to the band-guide, there is a flangeH', provided with cylindrical holes corresponding to the cells. Theperforations register with the spout, and as the wrapper projectsthrough the registering perforations it (the wrapper) is surrounded bya'rigid wall to prevent its being burst open as the tobacco firstentersit. To H there is securedaratchetwheel h', Figs. 2 and 3, withwhich engages at the bottom a pawl t', Fig. 3, supported and moved bymeans of a slide J, rectilinearly guided transversely of theframe-plate. A roller 17 at the front end of J engages with an obliqueslot 1S in the head of a rod 19, Fig. 1, which is moved in thelongitudinal direction of the frame-plate by the cam 2O on the shaft D.The slot 1S transforms the longitudinal movement of the rod 19 intotransverse movement of the slide J and the pawl i. A second pawl z"prevents the revolving head from rotating backward, said -rotating headbeing from time to time caused to rotate forward to the extent of onecell. The exact setting and fixing of the revolving head in each of itspositions is effected by a pin K, Figs. 1 to 3 and 7, which penetrateswith its conical end into holes in the head H, provided there forv thepurpose. A double-armed lever K', pivoted about a pin 21 and havingthree branches formed in its upper arm, carries the pin K and isoscillated by a link or rod 23,

IIO

having a projection working in the cam-groove 22, made ina pulleymounted on the shaft L and driven from the shaft D by means of thealready-mentioned toothed wheel e and the toothed wheel 24 of the samesize on the Shaft] I1. I

The head H rotates in the direction of the arrow at the bottom of Fig.3. The paper -tubes to be filled are introduced one by one in the cellsof the ascending part of the revolving head either by hand or by anymechanical device, whichneed not be further considered here. Thev courseof one paper tube will now be followed. The cell containing it comesfirst within reachlof an advancing device. (Shown separatelyin Fig. 7.)It

consists of a mandrel M with blunt tapering point, which when therevolving` head is at rest is pushed through the corresponding hole 'aguide-rod 36. Another partial rotation of in H', enters the back end ofthe paper tube, and forces it to assume a round shape in order to enablesaid tube to be pushed over the tubular branch 1l. M is supported by arod 25, Figs. 1 and 2, which is caused to ad- Vance by a cam 2G on theshaft D. The point at which the cam engages is provided with afriction-roller 26% The required abutment for the advancing device M isformed by the counter-holder M, Figs. 1 and 7, connected by a rod 27with one branch of the lever K',

Fig. o. The lever K pushes the paper tube by means of the counter-holderup against the flange Il', whereupon the driver M advances. The papertube in question prepared by the driver M arrives at the next partialrotation of the head H in front ot' the mouthpiece C and its spout ll.When the head stops, a slide N, Fig. 2, also carried by the lever K bymeans of a rod 2S, advances and pushes the paper tube through the holein I-I and onto the spout ll. At the next moment the wedge 13 advancesand the tongs 12 12 are closed, the end of the paper tube being thusclamped to the spout ll. The slide N returns immediately afterward. Thebands and the pulley G now begin to move. The tobacco rope is caused toadvance and is pushed into the paper tube until it reaches the front endof said tube. At the moment, however, the paper tube must advance alittle, together with the tobacco rope, so that the back end of saidtube which was meanwhile released by the tongs may leave the spout 11,and the cut separating the inished cigarette from the rope may beeffected immediately behind the paper tube, and there-V fore onlythrough the tobacco. This additional advance is effected by the bands orthe disk G. It is limited by a stop or linger O, vertically adjustablein a slot in the frame P, guided by a pin 29 in the frame P and alwayspulled downward by a spring 30, Fig. 2. During the advance of the rod 28abar o with the finger O has been raised, by the wedges 3l coming underthe linger, out of the path of the advancing slide. During the return ofthe rod 28, however, the linger O descends into the cell. It leavessomuch clearance to the cigarette advancing after the tongs 12 12 havebeen opened that the back end of the paper tube leaves the spout 1l andmoves so far that there is room for the cutter between the tube and thespout. In this position the finger holds fast the cigarette, the bandsnow standing still. At the moment a cutter Q, Figs. 1 to 3, swings downbetween the spout 1l and the liange H' close behind the back end of thepaper tube and severs the cigarette from the rope by aclean cut, at

the same time cutting into proper shape whatV is now the front end oftherope. The cutter is supported by a lever q,pivoted at 33, Figs. 1 and 3.Y a cam-groove 3l in a disk on the shaft D and by means of a leverpivoted about 35, and i This lever is actuated by means ofv the headbrings the finished cigarette to the descending part, where it advancesstep by step until it finally arrives within reach of the ejector R.This (together with the wedge 13 described for closing the tongs l2 12)has the form of a round pin and is secured to the rod 14. During aperiod of rest of the head the ejector R enters through Il in order torelease the back end of the cigarette from the flange Il. During furtherrotation of the re`- volving head the cigarette then falls out atonce'lrom its cell and rolls along an inclined plane (not shown in thedrawings) toward a place where they are collected.

The finger O ascends and descends with the bar o whenever the latter israised and l0w= ered by means of the weights 3l and the rollers 32, Fig.2. The turning of the drum l-I, however, only takes place when thelinger O is at its lowest position. In this position the nger extendsinto the slot on the circumference of the drum Il. Owing to sucharrangement the drum ll cannot turn unless the finger yields, and forthis purpose the finger O is pivotally mounted on the pin 37 on the leftend of the bar o in such a manner that it can yield when the drum isturned. The spring 3S, actingon a pin at the back of the linger O,causes the finger to spring back into its vertical position after thewall of the recess a: has passed underneath it. Thus the finger is movedby the walls of the recess and not by any special mechanism.

The tobacco rope coming out from the mouthpiece C or its spout 11 has ofcourse the tendency to expand. In the construction of the machinehereinbefore described this tendency is counteracted and the paper tubesupported from outside at its back end-72. e., the end at which thetobacco enters by the holes in the flange H of the revolving head. Insome cases, however, this expansion is so strong that the paper tube ispressed by its inner pressure hard against the walls of the hole, whichsometimes interferes with the subsequent advance of the paper tube,togather with the tobacco rope. If very soft paper be used for thetubes, they may even break. I will therefore now describe a device bymeans ot which this drawback is obviated in a sure manner. This iseffected by replacing the unalterable hole in the flange H as far as ithas to support the paper tube by a hinged mold. This mold acts in thesame way as the hole, but Yis opened by turning the two halves about thehin gejoint before the advance of the filled paper tlrbe with thetobacco rope begins. Fig. l2 is a plan of the revolving head with thisauxiliary device. Fig.U 13 is a central vertical cross -section throughthe mouthpiece and revolvinghead; Fig, 14 an elevation of said head,with the auxiliary device seen from the inner end next to themouthpiece, on a larger scale than the rest of the figures. The saidhinged mold is constituted by a pair of tongs S, the doublo- IOO IIO

armedl legs of which are pivoted at 39 39 to an angle-bracket s, securedto the inner end of the fixed spindle h of the revolving head.

-It will be seen from Fig. 13 that S is arranged between the mouthpieceC and the revolving head H, the ange H' of which is here narrower thanin the construction previously described. The holes in H' are largerthan before. The semicircular notches of the legs of the tongs form whenclosed a cylindrical opening or mold, the diameter of which correspondsto that of the paper tube and which is situated in the path of thetobacco rope coming out from the spout 11. On the other side ofthecenter of rotation 39 the legs are provided with notched project-ions 4040, between which there comes a pointed pin S for the purpose of closingthe mouth of the tongs. S' is rigidly connected with thealready-described fiXing-pin K by a transverse part 41. Therefore whenthe lever K oscillated it advances, together with the pin K. A spring42, connecting the back ends of the legs of the tongs, opens the tongsas soon as S' goes back. The tongs, which open before the tinishedcigarette is cut 0E, enable the end of thecigarette projecting from I-Ito come out laterally of their mouth in the direction indicated by thearrow, Fig. 14, as shown by the dotted position of the tongs. Thisarrangement has also the economical advantage of not necessitating thereplacing of the revolving head for manufacturing cigarettes ofdifferent thickness. Only the mouthpiece C and the pulley Gr and thetongs S must be exchanged, or if the mold be formed by separate jawsmounted on the tongs only these jaws must be exchanged. The tongs S maybe also connected with the tongs 12 12 (inasmuch as they move in unisontherewith) for holding the end of the paper tube fast on the branch l1.

Obviously other preferred or well-known devices may be substituted forthe drum or head H without affecting the operation of the other parts ofthe apparatus, and hence I do not wish to be limited specifically tothis feature.

1. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of the followinginstrumentalities, to wit, mechanism for forming, compressing andintermittingly advancing a continuous filler of tobacco, a tubular spoutthrough which the continuous filler is projected by the compressing andadvancing mechanism and a holder for supportinga tube at the exit of thespout for the reception of the filler; substantially as described.

2. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of the followinginstrumentalities, to wit, mechanism for forming, compressing andadvancing a continuous filler of tobacco, a tubular spout through whichthe continuous filler is projected by the compressing and advancingmechanism, an intermittingly-operating holder for supporting a tube atthe exit of the spout for the reception of the filler and anintermittingly-operating knife operating across the mouth of the spoutfor severing the filler; substantially as described.

3. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of the followinginstrumentalities, to wit, intermittingly-operating belts formingbetween their proximate faces a channel for the reception and feed of acontinuous filler of tobacco, a tubular spout located beyond the end ofthe channel and through which the continuous filler is projected by thebelts, with means for supporting tubular cigarettewrappers in positionto receive the filler from the spout and a knife for severing the fillerafter its passage from the spout; substantially as described.

4. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of the followinginstrumentalities, to wit, intermttingly-operating converging beltsforming between their proximate faces a converging channel for thereception and feed of a continuous ller of tobacco, a tubular spoutthrough which the continuous filler advances and having an externaldiameter less than that of the completed cigarettes, and a clampingmechanism for holding a tubular wrapper on the spout while the filler isbeing inj ected therein; substantially as described.

5. In a cigarette-machine, the combination with three belts forming achannel for a continuous filler, guide for holding the belts in properalinement, a grooved compressurewheel overlying the lower belt at theforward end and mechanism for moving said belts and wheel intermittngly,of a tubular guide through which the continuous filler is projected bythe belts and wheel, an intermittingly-operating holder for tubularcigarettewrappers and an intermittinglyoperating knife working acrossthe mouth of the tubular guide; substantially as described.

6. In a cigarette-machine, the combination of thefollowinginstrumentalities, to wit, intermittingly-moving bands betweenwhich a continuous Iiller is compressed and advanced IOO IIO

intermittingly, a tubular spout adapted for the reception of one end ofa tubular wrapper and through which the filler is projected by thebands, a knife working across the end of the spout, clamps for holdingthe tubular wrapper on the spout and operating mechanism timed torelease the clamps before the feed of the filler is arrested, wherebytheA before the feed of the filler is arrested where by the wrapper iscarried o'ff the spout and a stop for arresting the feed of the iiller;substantially as described.

8. In a cigarette-machine, the combination With a iiller forming andfeeding mechanism, and a tubular spout through which the filler isprojected by the feeding mechanism, of a rotary head moving transverselyof the spout and having a series of wrapper-seats therein, a flange onsaid head having apertures corresponding to the seats and adapted toregister with the spout and form an inclosure for the Wrapper to preventits being burst open as the tobacco enters and a pusher for advancingthe Wrappers through said apertures and around the spout; substantiallyas described.

9. In aoigarette-machine, the combination with a iiller forming andfeeding mechanism and a tubular spout through which the filler isprojected by the feeding mechanism, of a rotary head moving transverselyof the spout and having a series of Wrapper-seats therein, a flange onsaid head having apertures corresponding to the seats and adapted toregister with the spout and form an inclosure for the wrapper to preventits being burst open as the tobacco enters, a pusher for advancing thewrappers through the apertures and around the spout and clamps forholding the wrapper in engagement with the spout While the iller isadvanced; substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereto set my hand in the presence of the twosubscribing Witnesses.

OTTO BERGSTRAESSER. Vitnesses:

OTTO WOLFF, HUGO DUMMER.

